There are so many decisions to be made when planning your wedding. One of the decisions you will have to make is: what kind of hairstyles you want your bridesmaids to have.
As the bride, the answer to this question for you may be as simple as ‘whatever the bridesmaids want themselves’.
Other brides may feel that they want to guide their bridesmaids with a style they have in mind, you may provide your bridesmaids with some options and let them decide.
Furthermore, other brides prefer to choose a hairstyle that all of the bridesmaids will have variations of, this is especially important if you want the bridal party to look uniform in the photos and you would prefer to choose.
There is no right or wrong way to go about this. In this article we explore the main questions to consider when choosing a hairstyle for your bridesmaids, whether you are simply making suggestions or making the decision yourself.
The hairstyles must fit the theme of your wedding
Something to consider is that you want your wedding to look as cohesive and intentional as possible in real life as well as in the photos. Hairstyles may seem like a small part of this; however it is an important feature to consider. From afar, the makeup won’t be as obvious, but the hairstyles will be more noticeable.
If your bridesmaids are asking for your opinion and some guidance with how to choose their hairstyle, you may want to give a few options that you think will suit the dresses and the overall theme of your wedding.
It comes down to what your overall theme of the wedding is. You want the hairstyles to seamlessly fit into the theme, without drawing too much attention away from the cohesive sense of your wedding style.
This is especially important if you have a bridesmaid that is a risk taker and is prone to doing something dramatic with their hair, consider giving your opinion on what you would like them to do with their hair, without stating it as ‘rules’.
If your vision for your wedding is to have your bridal party match, then advocate for that. Choose the hairstyles and give examples of what you are after, it is not too much to ask, and after all, your bridesmaids are your closest friends!
There is a growing trend that brides are opting for an eclectic but cohesive look with the bridal party: the bridesmaid dresses aren’t the exact same, but they follow a theme whether it be a colour tone, type of dress or a standout accessory such as bold jewellery or flower crowns. This theme running throughout the bridal party helps to make everything appear intentional whilst giving room for each individual’s style and flare to show.
Bridesmaid dresses
The hairstyle should be a complimentary feature to the overall outfit. Most brides give either an exact dress that they want their bridal party to wear, or as mentioned above, a theme for an eclectic yet cohesive mix of dress styles and colours.
The formality of the dresses should match the formality of the hairstyle. If your vision is to have elegant ball gown dresses, then consider an elegant low bun for your bridesmaids.
When choosing a hairstyle to compliment a dress, an important feature to consider is the neck-line of the dress.
With a high neck-line or one with embellished features on the boddice, there is the notion that hair up-dos are a good option here to compliment the neck line and show it off as the feature of the dress.
Another option is to have a running theme in hairstyles amongst your bridal party. For example: if your bridal hairstyle is one with braids and flower pieces, your bridesmaids could have complimentary features in their hair of braids and a few flower pieces as well.
The main point here is that your bridal hairstyle needs to come first, you choose the style that you want and the bridesmaids’ hairstyles should complement but not overshadow your own bridal style.
Consider the setting of your wedding
Logistical matters are also important to consider when choosing the perfect hairstyle for your bridesmaids. If your wedding is outside and there is potential for humidity, rain and wind, consider having hairstyles that are secured out of the bridesmaid’s face such as a bun or even an accessory like a hair pin that can pin back loose hair. This way, you will reduce the risk of your bridesmaids needing to fix their hair mid ceremony.
There are hairstylists that provide mobile hairdresser services for touch ups at weddings therefore if you do want the boho-chi waves at the beach, you can have it!
Budget for hair and makeup
If you are considering paying for your bridesmaid’s hair and makeup, there will be an additional cost that will add up across several bridesmaids. This may or may not be an issue for your budget.
You could opt to have their makeup done and your bridal party can pay for their hair to be done, as an example to spread to costs whilst still taking care of your bridal party.
It is not a given that hair and makeup will be professionally provided to each bridesmaid, it is up to you and what your budget allows. Your bridesmaids can do their own hair and makeup, especially if you are going for a simpler look that is fairly easy to achieve.
Speak to a professional
Consider speaking to your wedding hair and makeup artist to understand the time and price it may require to complete your chosen look. How you divide the cost amongst the bridal party or whether you pay for all of it or some of it yourself is purely up to you, there is no right or wrong way to go about this!
The decision about your bridesmaids’ hairstyles can be a fun one. Get your closest friends together and look through pictures, discuss your theme and your wedding setting and most importantly, follow your own style. Have fun with this part!
